It was rather peaceful in the guildhall this morning. Casual chatter filled the air as members slowly arrived. She was humming to herself and tenaciously scrubbing the bar with a washcloth in hopes to rid it of any remnants of alcohol or food. It was in vain, she knew; but she persisted to soothe her compulsion. After all, Mirajane took pride in her work. She loved all the members and providing a loving home and a warm meal was the least she could do after a hard day's work. It didn't use to be like this. She was an S class mage. Was being the key word in the sentence. Her cerulean hues glazed over as a distant memory swept through her mind. She hadn't used magic since Lisanna…. She gingerly brought op one of her hands only to rest her troubled gaze upon it. No matter how much she tried she couldn't summon her magic. And she had tried…desperately. A small sigh rolled off her lips and she shook her head, the silver tassels dancing around her form. There was no use in reminiscing about the past. Nothing would change.

"Mira!" A sharp voice dragged her out of her thoughts and she lifted her gaze to the burly man standing before her. He was large, clad in navy from top to bottom. His silver strands stuck in all directions and a prominent scar stretched over his right eye. His dark eyes peered at her intently, a hint of worry reflecting back at her. She blinked a few times to clear her mind before a gentle smile spread over her features.

"Yes brother?" She chirped happily.

"Are you okay?" He grunted so only she could hear.

"Of course!" She retorted before grabbing a large mug filled to the brim with dark liquid. "Here you go brother, just how you like it."

Seemingly pacified for the moment he wrapped his giant hand around it and brought it to his face to inhale the rich scent before taking a couple gulps. He sighed happily then grinned.

"Nothing like a cup of strong black coffee to make you feel like a real man!"

Mira chuckled. She couldn't help it when he got this way.

"Are you taking a job today brother?"

"Aye! I am a man, and a man has to provide for his family!" He stated proudly before drowning the remainder of the cup and handing it back to her. Leaning over the bar he snaked one arm around her shoulders and curled his palm around the back of her head before gently pressing his forehead against hers in an affectionate gesture. Her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned into him. There was no need for words of caution. The two of them had been through so much that they will always find their way back home. They had to.

"Good luck brother! I'll prepare your favourite meal when you come back." He gave her a quick grin before plucking his bag form the bar and waved goodbye. Once he turned away her smile faltered for just a second. She worried. For him…for all of them. She always worried. With those thoughts in mind she returned to the kitchen to check the food she was preparing. Who knows what would happen if he came and there was nothing to eat.

Once she reached the kitchen she set about her usual activities until something unusual caught her attention. She pestered Laxus and Gray to help her restock just yesterday, so the empty space in the corner of the room was odd. Mira's eyes narrowed in irritation.

"For the love of…." She growled under her breath and walked out of the kitchen. Mira stormed around the bar and into the hall. It wasn't hard finding the culprit. The expression plastered over her face discouraged anyone from approaching. Cana Alberona. Surely enough she was sitting on the table in her corner of the guildhall. The barrel safely at her side, a mug of beer in her hand. Something was off about this picture. Usually she would just chug straight from the barrel, drunkenly cackling with someone. Today she had a set of cards spread in front of her and she eyed them warily. She was barely even drinking.

Mira stopped in front of the table and crossed her arms in over her chest shooting Cana a stern look.

"How many times have I told you not to steal barrels from my kitchen?!" It was a rhetorical question. Cana murmured something under her breath but never took her eyes from the cards. Mira's lips curled into a sweet smile, her gaze turning murderous before she cleared her throat and tried again.

"Cana." She called softly and this time the woman looked at her.

"Hm?" She paused. "Oh, Mira! Sorry…. didn't see you there. Need s'mething?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do. I need my barrel back. Preferably full." Cana grinned wryly before drowning the rest of her mug

"'M afraid that's not possible." Visibly irritated Mira huffed back at the drunk woman.

"How many times have we gone over this? I need something to serve everyone else, you can't hog all the alcohol for yourself Cana! This is getting ridiculous. It's 8 in the morning! You've already gone through half 'a barrel, if not more!"

Raising her hands in a sign of surrender Cana sighed.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I had trouble sleeping and alcohol helps."

"Right" Mira mused sceptically.

"No, really. I've just been having some trouble that's all." She admitted, her gaze falling to the cards once more. Mira dropped her arms and slid into the bench next to the table, her irritation replaced by concern. This was odd for Cana. She didn't usually act this way.

"Hey…" She said gently pressing her palm to the woman's thigh. For the first time she noticed Cana looked tired. Purple bags formed beneath her eyes, her skin was paler, and her eyes lost their usual shine…even with the amount of alcohol she drank. "Are you okay? What's troubling you?"

Cana ran her fingers through her hair before launching into an explanation.

"I honestly have no idea. I have this odd feeling in the pit of my stomach for the last few days. I can't sleep or eat, even drinking isn't helping. I feel something bad is going to happen and I'm trying to see what the hell it could be, but the cards are as vague as they've ever been. There is a storm brewing, that much is obvious. Here…" She pointed at the first row of cards draped with symbols Mira didn't understand. "This signifies change. It's going to happen soon, I think. The second row tells me that there will come a time where this change will either be good or bad."

Cana shrugged her shoulders and poured herself some more beer before continuing the explanation. "Any change is the same, no?" She grinned briefly before her face fell into a solemn mask once more. "The last row worries me the most."

Mira leaned in to peek at the cards, but they all looked the same to her. "Why so?"

"Because every time I shuffle my deck they change." She said simply and drowned the mug once more. A frowning Mira leaned back into the bench.

"Aren't they supposed to change?"

"Aye…but not like this. They normally show me the most likely scenario and it doesn't change no matter how many times I shuffle. I've never seen the future change this rapidly. It worries me."

Mira didn't know anything about cards or the future, but if Cana was worried then something was amiss.

"Okay. What do they tell you now?"

"Nothing good." Cana mused. It seems that not only the cards were vague today.

She hadn't seen her friend this serious in years. Jumping to her feet she touched Cana's shoulder.

"No matter. We're mages of Fairy Tail. What ever comes we'll deal with it together!" Cana smirked at the reassuring words. "Yes we are."

Mira gracefully slid from the table and turned to leave. "Don't steal any more of my barrels!" She called over her shoulder and Cana's laughter filled the room.

_Author's note;

I am so excited to finally do this! I just wanted to clarify a few things before we kick off into the story. First of all, the story itself will have a more serious feel in some parts. I don't know why but it leans towards it more. All of the characters are a bit (By a bit, for some of them I mean a lot) older then they are in the anime.

Some of the chapters might feel a little random but it will all be clear as the story progresses. I need to set the stage for events that I have planned, and this is the only way I can think to do it.

Lastly I have a tendency to focus on relationships and interactions so pay close attention, most of them will be important for later :)

If you have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to voice them! I love hearing new opinions and ideas. They get my creative juices flowing :)

~Epomophorus